The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, has warned that Nigeria’s quest for food security will remain elusive without deliberate efforts to protect the environment, citing erosion, pollution, climate change and poor waste management as major threats to agricultural productivity.
Aguiyi gave the warning while delivering his address as Chairman of the Occasion at the 2026 World Food Day commemoration organised by the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture. He was represented at the event by the host commissioner, Dr. Ben Chuks Odoemena.
Speaking on the theme, “Nexus Between Environmental Security and Food Security,” the commissioner stressed that environmental protection and agricultural development were inseparable, describing the administrative separation of ministries responsible for the two sectors as fundamentally flawed.
He maintained that sustainable food production depended on a healthy environment, warning that the destruction of agricultural land and natural resources would ultimately threaten food availability and public health.
Highlighting the scale of environmental challenges in Anambra State, Aguiyi disclosed that approximately 35 per cent of the state’s 4,877 square kilometre landmass was affected by more than 1,200 active gully erosion sites.
He said the situation posed a significant threat to agricultural land and reinforced the need for stronger environmental management, land restoration and erosion control measures.
On pollution and food safety, the commissioner cited lead zinc mining pollution in Enyigba and the indiscriminate discharge of abattoir waste into drains and streams in Anambra as examples of practices capable of contaminating water sources and undermining food production.
He warned that polluted water could compromise food safety and expose communities to health risks, stressing that environmental degradation extended beyond ecosystem destruction to affect human well being and agricultural sustainability.
Aguiyi also expressed concern over the growing impact of climate change on farming, noting that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had been predicting a late onset and early cessation of rainfall.
According to him, farmers who continue to depend solely on traditional planting calendars without adjusting to changing weather patterns risk crop failure and reduced yields.
The commissioner further disclosed that Anambra generates more than 1,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, with organic materials accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the total.
He lamented that much of the waste was disposed of rather than converted into compost for agricultural use, describing the situation as a missed opportunity to improve soil fertility, restore degraded farmland and increase crop yields.
He advocated the conversion of organic waste into useful agricultural inputs, noting that such an approach would help address waste management challenges while promoting sustainable farming and soil regeneration.
Beyond environmental concerns, Aguiyi identified peace and security as critical components of food security, recalling that communal conflict in Effium displaced more than 20,000 people, predominantly farmers, who reportedly abandoned their farms for two years.
He explained that insecurity and displacement disrupted farming activities, destroyed livelihoods and weakened food production, underscoring the need for peaceful communities to sustain agricultural development.
The commissioner’s remarks highlighted the importance of an integrated strategy that combines environmental protection, climate adaptation, erosion control, effective waste management and conflict prevention to safeguard agricultural productivity.
He stressed that protecting the environment must be treated as a fundamental step towards ensuring food security, improving public health and building a sustainable agricultural future for Anambra State and Nigeria.
